A variety of brackets and clamps are used to hold pipes, cables, wires, and other elongated members in position. A clamp developed by Ismert is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,122, which has two parallel ratchet arms extending from a base to engage slots in a keeper block. The keeper block has a pawl member located by the slots to engage teeth on the ratchet arms to adjustable position the base relative to the keeper block. V-shaped notches on the base and notch open toward each other and allow various diameter pipes, cables, etc. to be held in the notches.
But these notches form a relatively rigid connection with the item held by the clamp, and with that connection occurring along a point or line contact. The connection is so rigid that the Ismert clamp even adds elongated slots to try and make the sides of the V-shaped notches more flexible. Those rigid connections have disadvantages, including creating a point or line contact between the item held and the V-shaped notches or other portions of the holders, potential scraping of the item held, and easy sliding of the item held relative to the bracket. This type of prior art clamp also readily transmits noise from the pipe through the bracket, to the supporting structure. If the brackets hold water pipes, the water flowing through the pipes creates noise that is transmitted through the bracket into the structure, and that presents problems in multi-family dwellings. There is thus a need for a clamp that has a more flexible support contacting the item held, and there is a need for a clamp that does not transmit noise to the supporting structure to which the bracket is fastened.
These brackets and clamps are fastened to a variety of support structures, such as studs in a wall, bars fastened between or to such studs, and cables or pipes. The prior art clamps and brackets are difficult to fasten to these various support structures. One hand is needed to hold the bracket, while the other hand must place a screw or nail through the bracket and then try to fasten the screw or nail. There is thus a need for a better or easier way to fasten these brackets and clamps with only one or two hands, and to allow fastening the brackets in various orientations.